


The comfort she needs

by squint



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Liv Flaherty & Robert Sugden Bonding, Protective Robert Sugden, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 16:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18944878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squint/pseuds/squint
Summary: While Aaron's away on a business trip Liv's wake up sick and Robert tries his best to take care of her.





	The comfort she needs

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, that's my first fic in this fandom and especially in english. So I hope it doesn't suck that bad :) I'm happy with every comment oder critic.
> 
> And now, have fun! Hope you like it!
> 
> p.s. Are calf wraps when you're sick a thing in Britain? I've no clue. It certainly is in Germany. So forgive me when this whole stuff turns out weird :D

Robert sits at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee and checking a message from Aaron on his phone. 'Morning :) Night was okay. Wasn't woken by a kicking, cuddling seastar. A pleasant change :P but still missing ya. Have a great day and Liv too. Heading to the first meeting now. Call you later. Love ya! A.'  
Aaron went for a three days business trip to Plymouth yesterday, hoping for new connections and customers. So Robert's left in charge for Liv. And he can't deny that he's kinda proud that Aaron trusts him do to that. 

Robert glances at the clock. Liv should be down for breakfast by now. "Liv! Its time for breakfast!", he yells upstairs but doesn't get an answer. "C'mon, Liv, you're running late!" Still nothing. He sighs and walks upstairs hoping that she did not fall asleep again. He's glad to see that the door to her room is open but frowns because she's still in her pj's sitting on her bed. "Liv, hurry up! Aaron's gonna be mad at me when you're late at school the first time it's my responsibility.", he says and Liv mumbles a 'Sorry'. Only now Robert notices that she's sitting there with a borrowed head and hanging shoulders, her eyes closed. Robert's face softens. "Hey, what's going on?" "I don't know. I don't feel good." Liv says and looks up to Robert. Her face his pale, only her cheeks flushed. "And you look even worse. What's wrong?", he ask and takes a step closer. "Little headache and my throat is killing me." Robert remembers that she said something about a sore throat yesterday. He didn't thought about it much more. Maybe he should have.  
He closes the distence between them and touches her forehead. "Hm, I guess you have a little temperature too. Come on, back to bed. I'll call your school and make you a cuppa tea." Robert says and Liv crawls back under the covers. A few minutes later Robert's back with her favorite tea mug. "Do you want me to stay home? Or some meds?" Liv shakes her head against the pillow. "Nah, its okay. I'll just sleep it of. You don't need to be here for that." "Okay, but I'm gonna check on you at lunch break. I hope you'll feel better soon." Liv mutters a 'thank you' and Robert switches off the light. "Sleep well." 

 

It was around 1 when Robert came home, a container with soup from David's in his hands. He thought that it might be the right thing when Liv wants to eat something. He puts it on the table to check on her first. When he opens the door after a small knock he finds Liv mumbling stuff in her sleep he couldn't make out. She restively moves her head from side to side clearly having a bad dream. Robert sits down next to her and cups her cheek. It's hot to the touch. Now he's sure she's having a fever. "Hey, Liv, wake up. Liv?" Her movements stop and she slowly opens her eyes, trying to focus on something in the dim light. She blinks at Robert, still confused. "Hey. Don't feel any better?" She shakes her head. "Yeah, I reckon. I think the fever is messing with you. Let me check that, okay?" he says and gets the thermometer from the bathroom. Seconds later he's back. "39,4°C. That's not good." He sighs. "I think we should see the doctor." Liv doesn't fight his decision for a second. Just crawls out of bed and hums an 'okay', which worries Robert even more. She throws on some clothes and makes her way downstairs with him. 

 

Robert turns off the engine when they arrived back at the Mill. The trip to town took a toll on Liv and she's asleep in the passenger seat since Robert went to the pharmacy to get her meds. The doctor diagnosed tonsillitis and prescribed painkillers and something for the fever.

Robert gives Liv's knee a little shake until she wakes. "Hey there. We're home. You can go straight to bed. I'll bring your meds." Wordlessly she gets out of the car and into the house. Robert follows her. He gets her pills and a glass off water and places them on her nightstand. Then he goes to the bathroom and comes back with a stack of towels and a bowl of water. Liv shots him a confused look. "What? You've never had calf wraps?" Liv shakes her head. "No, not that I remember. Maybe as a kid." "I'm gonna wraps your legs in wet towels, it'll help with the fever. But it's gonna be a little cold. Is that okay?" "Yeah, okay. But don't you have to be back at work by now?" "I'm not leaving you alone like this, Liv. And I can work from home too. So, come on. Take your meds and cuddle up. Just leave your legs out, will ya?" Liv's nods, swallows the pills and gets under her duvet. Robert's starts rinsing a little towel and wraps it around her calf, luckily she's already wearing pyjama shorts. He pauses as Liv shudders. "Should I stop?" It's the reaction he expected, but he need to make sure she's really okay with that. It's the first time Liv has been that sick since she's living with them and just now Aaron's not here to give her the comfort she needs. "Nah, it's okay. Actually it feels pretty good." Robert sighs with relief, happy that he can do her some good. So he continues, wrapping a bigger dry towel on top, to not wetten the bed. Then he does the same on her other leg. A few minutes later he repeats the whole procedure a second time.  
By the time he pulls the duvet over her legs Liv's fast asleep, quietly this time. But her face is still flushed with fever with sweat on her forehead. Robert wettens a wash cloth, sits down next to her and carefully dabs off the sweat.  
He couldn't really bring himself to leave her now, so he continues to wipe her face, hoping it will cool her down. Robert never thought that he and Liv would ever get along like this. She hated him, never tried to hide it. She was cocky, stubborn and loudmouthed. He couldn't stand her either, never though he would like her, but he does. Maybe because she's just a mini version of Aaron. She and Aaron became his family, a proper one, one he never thought he would ever have. It's nothing like with the Whites where everyone is sweettalking and then stabs you in the back. Liv however tells him when he fucked up. She never shuts her mouth. Which makes him worry even more. He never saw her as quiet as today. 

At that thought he stands up and sneaks out of her room. He needs to tell Aaron. So he plops on the sofa downstairs and gets out his phone. After a few rings Aaron answers. "Hi ya! How are you two holding up?" "Well..." Robert hesitates. "Rob, what's the matter?" "Liv's sick. Her throat hurts and she's got a fever. I took her to the doctor who said it's tonsillitis. But she took her meds now and I did calf wraps, so I think..." "You did what?" Aaron interrupts. "Should... Should'nt I have done it? I just thought it'll help... because of the fever." Robert stutters, suddenly uncertain. "Whoa! Robert, calm down. I was just surprised. I wouldn't have thought about it myself. You're amazing, you know that?" Robert has to smile shyly. "I love her, you know that. I would do the same for you." "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm keeping ya." Robert can hear him smirking, before his tone gets serious again. "How's she? Can I talk to her? And do you want me to come home?" "She's sleeping now and took the meds. I think it'll be okay. And she doesn't seem to bother she's with me." "Why would she? You're doing a great, Rob. Stop worrying about it, will ya?" "Okay." "I have to go know. I'm calling you later, maybe she's awake then. I love you." "Love you too. Bye." "Bye."

 

Robert's sitting on the couch with his laptop when he hears a shattering sound from upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps. He immediately runs upstairs in Liv's room, finding shards of glass next to the night stand and towels across the floor but no Liv. The sound of retching guided him to the bathroom. Liv kneels in front of the toilet, breathing heavily with shut eyes until another wave startles her body and she throws up again. Within a second Robert is crouched next to her stroking her back. He is shocked at what heat radiates from her body. Another wave hits her and Robert's guts clenched in pain and concern to see her like this. Her eyes are pressed closed and tears trickle down her cheeks. Her face and even her lips are deathly pale. Once the wave seems over she leans back against the tiles. Shut eyes. Heavy breathing. Robert stood up, wets the cloth from earlier in cold water and whipes her face like he did hours ago. He whispers soothing nonsense, asking himself if Liv did kind of fall asleep as her breathing evens out when just another wave hits her. It goes on like this for about half an hour. A few quiet minutes followed by Liv puking her guts out even though nothing more than bile is left. Robert doesn't want to think about what happened if he were at work with her dealing with this on her own.

Liv is leaning on the toilet concentrated on breathing as the last wave fades. "Rob." It's nothing more than a whisper. Cheeks stills damp from tears. "Please, make it stop." "Oh, I really wish I could, Liv.", he admits and never felt this helpless. Liv leans back against the wall again and Robert takes the time to measure her fever, concerned by how hot her body felt. It beebs. 40.7°C. "Bloody hell! Your fever is way to high."  
Liv only grunts and touches her forehead. It's the first time Robert saw little red spots on her arm and when he moved his gaze on her other arm and neck too. "Liv, did you had theese before?" Liv shakes her head. The fever, Robert being so alarmed, everything is just to much. She throws her into his arms, tears running down her face. "Robert, what's wrong with me?" "I have no idea. But where gonna find out. I'm taking you to hospital!" He moves back a little to look in her puffy eyes. "Stay here. I'm gonna get you clothes and everything we need, okay?" She nods and Robert leaps to his feet. He runs downstairs to get Liv's meds and his phone and calls Aaron. "Hey, what's up? Couldn't wait to..." Robert cuts into his words. "Aaron, Liv's feeling worse. She got some sort of rash and threw up dozens of times. Her fever is up to 40.7°. I'm taking her to hospital now!" His words tumble in such a manner Aaron needed a second to realise what he was saying. "Okay, it's over. I'm coming home! I will be with you as fast as I can." "Take care!" Robert says while slipping in his shoes. "You too!" Aaron answers and hungs up. Robert grabs a bucket and a plastic bag from under the sink and runs back upstairs to gather some clothes. Just before the bathroom door he stops. He needs to calm down and focus he tells himself. Liv's is frightened enough and he's gonna kill themselves when he drives like a maniac. So Robert takes a deep breath to steady himself and goes back to Liv who is still sitting on the floor, no energy left in her body. Robert starts to put socks on her, a hoodie and puts her legs in the sweatpants. "I need you to stand up now. Okay? You can lean on me if you want to." Liv nods, stand up slowly with the help of Robert's hand and pulls her sweatpants up to her waist. Last thing Robert helps her into her jacket and shoes and reaches her the bucket. In case she has to throw up again. "Ready to go?"  "Yup.", she mumbles and wipes away the last tears, the sleeves of her hoodie clutched in her fists like Aaron always does. Robert gave her a brief hug and smiles at her. "Hey, everything will be alright." Then he guides her down to the car.

The car ride didn't do Liv any good. She threw up a few more times. Luckily a nurse saw how miserable Liv was when she walked in the A&E supported by Robert and let them see the doctor straight away.  
"Good evening. I see you don't feel well. Can you tell me what hurts?" "Throat." She gets out, swallows painfully. Robert intervenes, seeing how much energy it costs Liv to talk. "She woke up with a bad throat and fever. The doctor diagnosed tonsillitis and gave her some meds. But about 2 hours later she started throwing up over and over again and got a rash. And her fever rose to 40.7°C now."  
The doctor nods and started to examine her. Temperature, blood pressure, a look down her throat and at her arms, handing Liv a bowl, when she started puking again. Robert sits down next to her, stroking her back again and listens to the doctor. "Your doctor was right with the tonsillitis but it seems like more than that." "And what's with the puking and the rash?" Robert ask curiously. "Did you bring the medication Liv took?" Robert nods and gave her the boxes. "It's possible that she is allergic to one of the medications but we have to confirm this first through a blood test. We have to be careful with medication now until we know what substance her body is allergic to." She presses a calling button next to the door and she turns to Liv, who is slumped against Robert. "Liv, a nurse will take a blood sample from you now and put on an IV with nutrients. But we have to wait with other meds. Do you think you can handle this?" Liv gave her a little nod. "Good. Nurse Kelly will take you to your room afterwards."

A while later Liv's in a hospital bed, laying on her side and facing Robert. She's dressed in a white gown surrounded by cooling pads trying to get her temperature down without any meds. She stopped vomiting a little while ago but is still nauseous. Her throat hurts more and more and breathing gets a little harder. Robert reaches her a spoon with ice chips now and then to cool her down and sooth her throat. He hates that he can't do more than sitting and waiting for the doctors to come to an conclusion. Liv tears him out of his thoughts. A coughing fit shakes her body. She's propped up on her forearm and bends over the mattress coughing up a some ice chip water on Robert's feet. He doesn't care. He just grabs her hand and let her squeezes his as much as she need to, as much as the pain needs her to. She busted into tears again and starts to struggle with her breathing. Robert pulls her to him, forehead resting on his shoulder, enough space between them that she can still cough and breath. "A... Aaron?" she presses out between a cough. Gently Robert strokes her hair, trying to calm her down. "I called him. He's on his way. It's a long car ride from Plymouth, but he will be here soon. Everything will be okay." Trying not to worry her more. Robert glances on the clock. They've been here for almost two hours which means that Aaron won't be here for another four, at least. And he wishes Aaron here as much as Liv does. 

 

Liv's coughing slowly fades and shallow breaths are left. The swelling in her throat gets worse and breathing gets harder. She doesn't say anything, but Robert can hear it. He's about to get up and get a nurse when the doctor comes into the room. "Liv, how are you holding up?", she asks even if it's clear to see that she's worse than the last time. "We got the test results. Actually the rash and nausea was caused by an allergic reaction to the fever medication. That's why the fever didn't drop. We're giving you an antidote and it should start to leave your system now. More important is that you caught an streptococcus infection which attacks the mocusa of the throat. It's not uncommon to come along with tonsillitis. The markers of infections are very high, but we're starting to treat you with antibiotics and something for the fever right now." Robert is not really relieved. "She struggles with breathing. That's not normal, innit?" The doctor frowns. She signals Liv to open her mouth and examines her throat again. "The tonsils got worse. It seems that your stomach acid worsened the infections on your throat and tonsils which are swelling up now." She pauses, takes a look in the chart and back to Liv. "When was the last time you ate something?" "...sterday." Even that one word feels like blades in her throat. "Okay, let me check with my colleagues. I'll be back in a moment.", the doctor says and leaves the room. A minute later she's back. "Okay, we decided to take you to surgery to remove your tonsils. They are way to swollen and the infection is far advanced. We don't want to risk further breathing problems. And your immune system isn't strong enough to fight the virus, the streptococcus bacteria and the allergic reaction at the same time. We need to remove the center of infection." Robert nudges Liv encouragingly. "Go big or go home, huh?" He tries to lighten the mood. He earns a little smile from Liv, an annoyed one, enough for him now. But Robert can still see she's frightened. He takes her hand and she relaxes a little. She looks at Robert, not wanting to let go of his hand and he cups her cheek, slowly stroking it with his thumb. "You're gonna be okay. Years ago Vic got her tonsils out too. She said it hurts less once they're out. You'll feel better." Liv nods tiredly. The first meds already kicking in. She forms 'Aaron' with her lips to not cause even more pain while talking and Robert understands. "I know you're missing him. I do too. He'll be here soon." Robert says and feels sorry, knowing how much it would calm her if he would be here.  
A nurse finishes the preparations for the surgery and tells them it's time to go. Liv's grib on Roberts hand tightens. "Dont worry. I'll be here when you wake up, okay? I promise." Liv nods slightly. "Love you, kiddo." He says and presses a kiss to her forehead. He squeezes her hand a last time before Liv lets go tentatively and is brought to theatre. 

Robert's sighs and the tension that built up the last hours leaves his body knowing Liv receives help now. He glances at his watch. The doctors said the surgery only takes about half an hour. So he uses the break to finally call Aaron. He doesn't even know Liv's in surgery yet. But he was so concentrated at Liv that he forgot. Maybe for the better. Aaron doesn't need to drive even more upset and distracted. He still needs to tell him now though. So he gets out his phone. It just take seconds for Aaron to answer. "Hey Rob, any news? How's she?" "Yeah, they know what's wrong now and gave her antibiotics. And they want to make sure she'll be fine so they're removing her tonsils now. But it'll be okay. Its just a small surgery." Robert tries to keep the news as less dramatic as possible hearing Aaron's on speaker and still driving. "Flip it! She doesn't do anything by half, isn't she?" "Yeah, I told her the same thing." Robert's smirks. “So, when do you think you'll be here? She's in surgery for about 30 minutes now. Don't know when she'll wake up." "I don't quite know. An hour maybe. It's becoming scarce. But I'll hurry." "Aaron, drive carefully. One person in a hospital bed is more than enough!" "Okay, I promise. See you soon. Love ya!" "Love ya." Then Robert hung up.

About an hour after she was settled back in her room Liv seems to wake up. Robert gives the hand he's holding since she came out of surgery a little squeeze, shows her that he's there. Slowly her eyes open and find his. "Hey there. Good to see you awake. The surgery went well. How are you felling?" “Ba..." Liv swallows hard, her face clenched in pain. Robert soothingly strokes her arm. “Try not to talk. You need to rest." Liv nods slightly. Her sight moves to a second chair standing next to the door a little further away and back to Robert. Her face questioning. Robert understands. "He isn't here yet. He called a few minutes ago. There was an accident and he's stuck in traffic. He's so sorry. He really, really tried." Liv closes her eyes for a moments. She knows it's not his fault, she really does. She just wishes he was here. Robert can't bear seeing her like that. "Maybe... maybe you want this?" Robert mutters as he holds out one of Aaron's hoodies to Liv. "I remembered that he had left it in the car a few days ago. And because you like to wear them sometimes I thought you want to... I don't know, cuddle with it?" Suddenly he thinks it was a terrible idea, Liv's sixteen after all. But Liv takes it and snuggles her face into the soft fabric. It's still smells like her brother and like home. And she didn't know she needed it that bad. But somehow Robert did. Like he knew what she needed when the fever started or she couldn't stop puking. He always knew. And he's still sitting there his hands buried in his lap looking kinda nervous, not knowing that its him she needed. So she shifts a little to make space for him and smiles. "Cuddle?" Her voice barely a whisper, but the room is shrouded in silence so he understands. Robert's taken by surprise first but than he stands up, slips out of his shoes and lies down next to her. She cuddles up on him. Robert lifts an arm over her shoulders letting her head rests on his chest, still snuggled in Aaron's hoodie. He notices how her eyelids start to drop and her breath evens out. And soon she's sleeping again. Robert smiles softly. Maybe he isn't that bad in parenting.   
Slowly Robert feels the tiredness tugging at him. So he lifts the covers up to Liv's shoulders, presses a little kiss on her hair and let the fatigue of the stressful day overpower him.

When Aaron finally arrived and found his two favorite persons sleeping peacefully he couldn't help but smile. Softly he strokes a strand out of Liv's face and kisses her forehead. Quietly he sits next to the bed, taking Robert's hand in his and lowers his head on the mattress, worn out by worry and the long ride. He doesn't care if he'll have a sore neck in the morning. Everything that matters is that Liv's okay.


End file.
